Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun Episodes 1-8

Another series airing EVEN NOW in Japan.  The title translates to "The Monster Next to Me," but Crunchyroll has given it the name "My Little Monster."  I don't really like either of those translations, so I'll just call it 'Kaibutsu' for the time being.

It's shojo romance/comedy and does not actually involve any real monsters, to my moderate disappointment.  However, the cast are all outstandingly lovable in their varying methods of being socially inept, and the story so far as me curious when these two kids will finally start going out.  I'm betting around episode 12.

I guess I haven't really said very much about it.  Main character Mizutani Shizuku is a quiet, diligent girl who considers her studies and her future the most important thing in her life.  She is, at one point, assigned to deliver handouts to the truant who is supposed to occupy the seat next to her, Yoshida Haru, who was suspended for fighting, and who hasn't come back since the suspension was lifted.  Due to a chain of circumstances which mostly revolve around Shizuku pointing out that Haru's 'friends' are being jerks, he realizes that she's being nice to him, and that he likes that, and he likes her.  So begins the rolling ball of awkwardness that is their relationship.

Haru is both very intelligent and very stupid, and is, in himself, a fascinating character, both respectable and easy to look down on.  Shizuku, by contrast, plays a very natural, human protagonist, who is nonetheless antisocial and logical to the point of weirdness.

Eight episodes in, it's come a long way, but is remaining fun and interesting.  Definitely a series to watch, if you're looking for some fresh romance/comedy.

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